Semiconductor market to grow 4%

Consumer demand for so-called “smart” vehicles with driver information systems and voice recognition is fueling growth in high-powered semiconductors, says Scott Anderson, Motorola Inc.'s senior vice president and general manager, Transportation Systems Group. He predicts the automotive semiconductor market will grow 4% this year, bucking the trend in the overall semiconductor industry, which is expected to be down about 10%.

Motorola is the world's largest supplier of automotive semiconductors and claims 14% of the market — twice that of its nearest competitor.

The automotive semiconductor market will generate annual sales of about $11.5 billion this year, and the market is expected to grow 12% annually over the next five years, Mr. Anderson says.